Through A Child's Eyes
by JT4Life
Summary: Set the day after 'Bound'. What happens when Peter stops by to check on Olivia and things take a few awkward turns... Bolivia fic, enjoy!


_I know I'm still working on another fic, but I had this idea and I really needed to get it down before I forgot!!! It takes place the morning after 'Bound' and I thought it would be interesting to work with the new family dynamic (and Bolivia :D)._

_Enjoy!!! And I don't own Fringe. But those who do should really check out the Fringe section of for some plot ideas! _

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"Livvy, there's nothing in your fridge! Do you survive on takeout every day?" Rachel called from the kitchen.

"Of course not!" Olivia called back from her room where she was digging through her closet, rolling her eyes.

"Do you think you could watch Ella so I can run to the store for some real food besides… what is this? Gin and stale cereal?"

Olivia laughed out loud at her sister's sardonic comments. "Sure, not a problem."

A loud, high-pitched 'Yay' erupted from the kitchen where Ella was sitting on the floor with a book. Olivia smiled to herself. The little girl's presence in her home was like a breath of fresh air after her recent… ordeal. She'd fallen asleep while reading to Ella on the couch last night, and even though the little one was wide awake at seven that morning, it was one of the most beautiful things to wake up to.

"Be good for aunt Olivia, honey, I'll be back with some lunch soon," she heard Rachel bid a quick goodbye to Ella before the door closed and the lock clicked behind her.

A moment later, Ella came bouncing into her aunt's room, the same happy grin that had been on her face when she woke up still playing across her lips.

"Can I read my book on your bed?"

"Sure, sweetie, I'll read it to you if you'd like, but would it be ok if I got a quick shower first?"

"Ok," Ella smiled and hopped up onto the bed, her book in her hands.

Olivia sat down beside her. "Now, you know not to open the door for anyone but mommy, right?"

A quick nod confirmed that Ella knew that her aunt was being serious.

Olivia hesitated to add to the list of people, but she felt that she must, just in case. "Hey, do you remember my friend I told you about, Peter?"

"Your friend from where you work?" Ella asked curiously.

Olivia smiled. "Yes, that's him. He's the only other person that you can open the door for, ok? Here, let me show you." She crossed the room to her desk and pulled out Peter's file. It suddenly occurred to her that it was a bit weird that she was keeping Peter's information in her room, and that she knew exactly where it was amidst her many piles and stacks of papers.

Pushing the uncomfortable thought out of her mind, she held the picture up to Ella, who looked at it for a minute, her small brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"He looks nice," Ella shrugged, now bored, and bounced back up onto the bed.

Olivia grinned again and shook her head, amazed by her niece in every way, and slipped into the bathroom.

X

Peter bounced back and forth on his heels on the doorstep of Olivia's apartment. He wanted to ring the bell, he really did, but there was something holding him back. He'd been worrying about her all night; the image of her confused, exhausted and frightened face after the interrogation was etched into his mind's eye, and it made him restless as hell. She'd been through so much, and he didn't want her to stress or feel more pressured than she already was.

So, that's the reason why he was on her front step – at least that's the story he told himself.

Summoning his courage, Peter raised his hand and, after a split-second hesitation, rapped on the wood three times. He waited, trying to keep still. It wouldn't go over well if Olivia answered the door and he looked so agitated. That would only lead to more stress on her part, for he knew all too well that she would fret over him.

Peter frowned when the sound of something being slid across a hardwood floor could be heard from the other side of the door. He waited, his frown deepening, as the noise stopped for a moment, and then started up again. Another pause before the lock clicked and the door swung open. Peter had braced himself to be greeted by Olivia's undoubtedly exhausted expression and the dark circles under her eyes, but instead, he was looking into the eyes of a tiny girl, not more than four or five years old.

His eyebrows shot up, but before he had the chance to even open his mouth, the kid spoke.

"Come in, Peter!"

Now that was just weird. Did he have the right apartment? Was he really that tired? No, this was Olivia's street, her front step… and that was a little girl, and the last time he'd checked, Olivia Dunham certainly did _not_ have a daughter.

"Peter, come _on_!" the girl encouraged him, taking his hand and leading him over the threshold of the apartment. Peter felt like he was in a daze. He noted the chair sitting a few feet away from the door, presumably the cause of the sliding noises. The kid had probably used it to look through the peephole in the door, but that still didn't explain how the hell she knew his name….

"This way," she informed him, tightening her tiny grip on his hand and smiling as she led him through the apartment. Peter cocked his head. There was something vaguely familiar about that smile, but he couldn't quite place it. "My name is Ella. It's nice to meet you, Peter!" she continued, jumping right into conversation with him as she pulled him toward a closed door.

Peter had never been in Olivia's apartment before (if this was indeed her place and he wasn't dreaming), so he had no idea what lay beyond it.

Ella pushed open the door and Peter was shocked to see that they were in Olivia's bedroom, and he was about to gently inform his small tour guide that it would probably be best to wait for her in the kitchen area, when a familiar voice reached his ear.

"Ella? Is mommy back?"

Peter looked up as another door leading off the bedroom opened and out walked Olivia, clad in nothing but a rather small towel and soaking wet.

She noticed him standing there a second after he noticed her, and they both froze. Peter's hand went limp in Ella's as a voice inside his head screamed at him to keep it together, but that voice was lost among the many thoughts that were bouncing back and forth in his mind like lasers in a house of mirrors. She just looked so good, all fresh and showered up, standing no more than five feet away from him. Something about the light, fruity smell of her shampoo and the way her wet hair sent small streams of water down her shoulders and – oh God, her shoulders. One was sporting a purplish-yellow bruise; the other had a bright red patch of skin that surrounded a small gash. It didn't look deep, but it was about an inch or so long, at least what he could see of it. The cut curved over her shoulder and onto her back, and Peter wasn't sure that he wanted to know how much more of harm it had inflicted on her delicate skin.

Olivia's face was bright red, but she was doing a much better job of keep it together than he was. Peter knew that his face was a decent shade of crimson too, but he felt like an idiot for staring.

"Ella?" Olivia beckoned the little girl to her and bent down to meet the kid's eyes very carefully, holding the towel tightly to her chest. "Can you go read on the couch out there for a minute?"

"Ok, aunt Olivia." Ella smiled widely, and bounced out of the room just as cheerful as she had been all day.

The bedroom door closed behind them and steam from the bathroom was drifting in, making it rather humid, but the silence continued. Peter wasn't going to be the one to break it. He didn't trust himself to open his mouth and risk letting a few too many words slip out.

Olivia clung even tighter to the towel when she spoke. "What are you doing here, Peter?"

Her eyes were still, but Peter could see the raging storms behind them. "I wanted to come by and check on you. After the interrogation last night, and everything that you went through…" he shrugged, almost giddy in the joy of finding his voice and having not officially screwing anything up – yet.

To his relief, her expression softened, and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Thanks… but you didn't have to."

Peter shot her a mock-stern look. "Well, I think I did because you conveniently neglected to mention _those_," he pointed to her injured shoulders.

"They're nothing," she muttered and dipped her head self-consciously.

"Like hell they are," Peter shot back, still keeping his tone light, but he was serious about this. He took a step towards her and waited for her response as to whether or not he could take another.

Olivia looked back up him, biting her lower lip, debating. Just when Peter thought she was going to shrink away from him, like she always did, she nodded her head slowly, but her eyes still looked wary.

Peter smiled encouragingly at her and approached her until they were close enough for Peter to feel her breath against his face. He waited for her response yet again, not wanting to force anything on her. It was a delicate balance, but the system worked as long as it didn't tip too much to one side or the other.

After another moment of contemplation, Olivia turned her back to him and pulled her wet hair out of the way. Peter choked down a gasp when he saw that the cut extended another two inches down her back, but the skin was pink and irritated for a full three or more. Without thinking, he reached out and laid his hand on the edge of the afflicted area. She cringed and Peter could feel her muscles trembling beneath his fingertips. Her skin was so soft and warm from the hot shower, but she shivered, and Peter wasn't exactly sure why. Her shiver caused the towel to slip a little further down her back, revealing another wound – a small red dot surrounded by a rainbow of bruised colors.

This time he actually did gasp.

"Olivia, what is this?" he asked, aghast.

"It's from the broken glass I smashed over some scientist's head, it's not that bad Peter."

He sighed. "No, I mean the bullet-sized impact wound down here." Peter lightly brushed his fingers against her skin in a circle around the mark.

Olivia shivered again. "That's where they shot me with a taser," she said softly.

Peter had known that she was hurt, but not to this extent. Maybe that fruity shampoo was getting to him, but a sudden impulse came over him and he gently turned Olivia around to face him again. She was confused, he could see that, but he carried on with his crazy, spur of the moment plan and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close.

God knows it was probably the worst, most inappropriate, most reckless thing to do, but the same reckless, impulsive part of Peter's mind told him that she really did want someone to comfort her. Beneath her steel masks and barriers, Olivia wasn't always a tough FBI Agent. That was just the image that camouflaged her barriers and gave them purpose. Under all that, she was just someone who needed him, and she needed him now more than ever.

Olivia was a bit stunned at first, but then she hugged him back with one arm (she had to keep the other arm between them to hold onto her towel, but Peter thought it was just fine and couldn't care less). She held onto him lightly at first, and then Peter felt her grasp tighten and her entire body relax in his arms, as she grew more comfortable with the situation. He smiled to himself, burying his face in her damp hair. He would hold her for as long as she needed him to, because… because…? Peter racked his brain for the right explanation.

_Because… that's what friends do for each other_.

Peter smiled again and hugged Olivia closer to him. That sounded pretty good to his ears. They _were_ friends, though it was more of a mutual thought than something that was stated aloud every day.

Olivia finally pulled away, but not too far. But what Peter really noticed about her was that she was smiling. Really, genuinely smiling at him from under the curtains of her long, wet hair.

"Thanks, Peter," she said quietly, her voice not much louder than a whisper.

Peter purposely flashed her one of his crooked smiles that always made her eyes sparkle. "Don't mention it."

Olivia's face brightened up even more, making her seem positively radiant with the light from the bathroom shining behind her and a glint in her eyes that hadn't been there a few minutes ago.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Peter turned to see little Ella poking her head in the room.

"Mommy's home now!" she cried happily and ran back through the door, letting it swing wide open. Peter heard Olivia let out a small gasp behind him when the little girl ran into the arms of a wide-eyed young woman with blonde hair who was standing amidst several grocery bags.

Olivia composed herself quickly and walked over to talk to the woman.

"Rachel, hi. Um, this is Peter. From work."

He offered his hand to Rachel and she shook it, a very familiar twinkle dancing in her eyes that surprised him.

Olivia turned to face Peter, a very forced look of calm on her face. "Peter, this is my little sister, Rachel. And you've already met her daughter, Ella."

"Of course I did," Peter grinned and fired a wink at little Ella who giggled and hid behind her mother's leg.

"It's nice to meet you, Peter," Rachel said kindly. "We've heard lots about you."

Peter could feel his face burning from the comment, but it was nothing compared to Olivia's embarrassment; Her face and neck had turned bright red in a matter of seconds. He could hardy contain his laughter at the sight of her acting so insecure from a simple comment concerning him.

"Only good things, I hope?" Peter cocked an eyebrow at Olivia, who just nodded and met his eyes for only a second, sending him a warning look, but she was still grinning sheepishly. Sensing the awkward tension in the room, Peter decided that it would be best to give the small family some space. "I just came by to check on Olivia, but I should be going now."

"Bye Peter!" Ella poked her head out from behind Rachel's leg and waved frantically at him. Peter chuckled, taken by the kid's adorable manner, and waved back before her face disappeared into the folds of her mom's coat.

"I'll see you later then?" Peter asked, turning to Olivia.

"Yeah, I'll drop by the lab in a few hours," she replied. As mush as Peter could tell that she was trying her best to keep a straight face, her lips were curling up a little bit, enough to give her the cutest smile that Peter had ever seen.

Damn, she was beautiful.

He caught himself from starring at her for too long, but the damage had already been done. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that Rachel was also trying to keep a straight face, and was, like her big sister, failing miserably.

"Bye, 'Livia," Peter smiled warmly at her and headed towards the door.

"Goodbye!" Rachel called as he stepped out the door. He waved again and met eyes with Olivia once more. That stunning smile was still there, playing across her lips and reaching all the way up to her eyes. Peter closed the door and walked to the curb where his car was waiting for him. He smiled and slid into the driver's seat, the smell of her shampoo lingering on his jacket.

X

The door closed behind Peter and Olivia was still smiling after him until Rachel rounded on her, her eyes wide and dancing with amusement.

"Well, well, well! What exactly was _that_?"

"What was what?" Olivia replied evenly, trying to be evasive, though she knew that her sister wouldn't let it drop that easily.

"Don't play dumb with me 'Liv," Rachel warned her playfully, crossing her arms across her chest like a stubborn child. "What were you two doing in your room? You're in a towel, for God's sake!"

Olivia shrugged and blushed madly. "We were just…"

"Hugging!" Ella burst out happily. "Aunt Olivia's got a _boyfriend!_"

"Hugging?! In a towel??" Rachel asked incredulously.

Flustered, Olivia crouched down to be on the same level as Ella. "Were you spying on me?" she asked with a mock-serious expression. The little girl just giggled triumphantly.

Rachel turned to her again as she stood up. "Seriously Olivia, what's the deal with this guy? It's obvious he likes you – "

"That's crazy," Olivia cut in. "He's just friend who happens to be a guy that I met through work. Remember I told you about Charlie? It's the same thing, we're just _friends_."

Rachel shook her head. "Peter isn't the same. You talked about him differently than you did about Charlie."

"What do you mean by that?" Olivia questioned, taking another stab at the innocent approach.

Her little sister giggled softly. "'Liv, I know you, the way you talk about people. And I've never heard you talk about someone with such…" Rachel paused and struggled to find the most appropriate words. "With such care and admiration and respect and affection and –"

"Ok, I get it, Rachel, I get it," Olivia cut her sister off again, feeling overwhelmed.

"Did you see the way he looked at you just now? Peter cares a lot about you."

Olivia nodded impatiently. "Of course he does, we're _friends_."

"How many friends who happen to be guys do you hug in a towel?" Rachel looked a little more serious now.

"You don't know Peter, Rachel!"

"And you do?"

Olivia fell quiet while she let the words sink in. "A bit, yeah, I do."

Rachel smiled and took her sister's hand. "He seems like a great guy, 'Livvy. You two have something special, I know that."

Olivia laughed. God, she was not having this conversation, and yet here she was.

"Can I add one more thing?" Rachel asked meekly.

Olivia nodded.

"Back when we were kids with high school crushes and ever since then, I can't remember a time you've been this touchy about a guy." Rachel smiled at Olivia, who was stunned at the truthfulness of her words, and gave her a quick hug. "Now go get changed, or you'll catch a chill."

Ella giggled again and her mirth was contagious, making all three of them laugh.

Rachel quickly beckoned Olivia to her and whispered in her ear for the sake of Ella's young ears. "Not to mention that he's damn good looking."

Both women burst into fits of hysterical giggles and Ella starting laughing too, just because the grown-ups thought something was funny.

Olivia pulled herself away from the small group and returned to her room to dig into her closet for some clothes. She stopped short by the closet door, frowning. The room had a new smell to it. The light, sweet aroma of her shampoo was there, as was the hardly noticeable smell of her laundry detergent, but there was something else. Then it hit her: it smelled like Peter – she couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was, but it was good. Not too strong, but just enough to fill her lungs and make her a little light-headed. Plus, it was an aroma that mingled well with her shampoo, like they belonged together. Olivia realized exactly what that could be a metaphor for, so she halted her train of thought and busied herself with getting dressed, swinging the door of her closet wide open and letting the delicious fragrance scent her entire wardrobe.

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_So? What do you guys think??? I'd love to hear about it in a review :)_

_And I'm really excited to see what will happen when Rachel and Ella really do meet Peter.... lol._


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